Firing equipment for simulating the effect of the gunfire

ABSTRACT

Firing equipment for simulating the effect of gunfire in which a plurality of firing cups having pyrotechnic devices in each cup and a separate detonating device to be selectively set off by means of control apparatus connected to a part in order to announce hits on the target.

bite States Patent [191 Hofimann 4 1 Mar. 27, 1973 1 FmING EQUIPMENT FOR SIMULATING THE EFFECT OF THE GUNFIRE [75] Inventor: Oswald Hoffmann, Lintorf, Germany [73] Assignee: Hoffmann-Werke J. Oswald Hoffmann [22] Filed: Sept. 11, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 71,499

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 25, 1969 Germany ..P 19 53 733.0

[52] U.S. Cl..- ..102/70.2 R, 273/1022, 42/1 I [51] Int. Cl ..F41f 15/00, F41f 7/00, A63b 63/02 [58] Field of Search ..89/1 F; 102/702; 273/1021, 273/1022; 35/25; 42/1 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,323,800 6/1967 Knight ..273/1022 R 3,423,848 1/1969 Ohlund ..273/l02.2 R

3,334,425 8/1967 Ohlund l ,.35/25 3,452,453 7/1969 Ohlund ..273/102.2 R 2,866,384 12/1958 Hersh ..89/1 F FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,118,015 6/1968 Great Britain ..35/25 Primary ExaminerBenjamin A. Borchelt Assistant ExaminerThomas H. Webb Att0meyWatson, Cole, Grindle & Watson 57 ABSTRACT Firing equipment for simulating the effect of gunfire in which a plurality of firing cups having pyrotechnic devices in each cup and a separate detonating device to be selectively set off by means of control apparatus connected to a part in order to announce hits on the target.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARwms INVENTOR. 06 WaZcZ Hoffman BYI FIRING EQUIPMENT FORSIMULATING THE EFFECT OF THE GUNFIRE This invention relates to firing equipment for simulating the effect of gunfire and is an improvement in or modification of the equipment disclosed in the US. application Ser. No. 702,607, filed Feb. 2, 1968.

According to the invention disclosed in the said application, firing equipment for simulating gunfire comprises a plurality of firing cups for accommodating pyrotechnic devices securely mounted on a support member, each firing cup being associated with a separate detonating device which can be set off, as selected, by means of control apparatus. The support member is designed for mounting on gun-barrels of different diameters.

The firing equipment in accordance with the said application is intended for simulating gunfire and does so in a very realistic manner, since the effects that are produced by flash, reports and smoke, and that occur in sharp-shooting are simulated in a natural manner.

Similar effects however also occur when projectiles and especially explosive projectiles strike a target, and it is desirable during exercises to effect a realistic simulation of this as well.

According to the present invention there is provided firing equipment for simulating the effect of gunfire comprising a plurality of firing cups for accommodating pyrotechnic devices, each cup being associated with a separate detonating device which can be set off, as selected, by means of a control apparatus connected to a target to respond to hits on the target, and thereby cause the control apparatus to set off a selected detonating device.

The firing equipment is arranged close to, and preferably behind, the target which may be a dummy armored vehicle, and thus not only signals a hit by a projectile but also simulates its explosive effect by a flash, a report and smoke. The effects of each type of projectile fired can be reproduced by appropriate choice of pyrotechnic device.

In order to remove the need for adjusting the equipment after each hit so that the next hit can be indicated, the control apparatus of the equipment may expediently' incorporate a stepping switch for sending successive signals from the signal emitting means to different firing cups after or during each hit.

The signal-emitting means may be so designed that it responds to a sound conducted through a solid body and transmitted from the target. 7

Further objects will be apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which;

FIG. 1 is a schematically view showing schematically the equipment of the invention as associated with a target in the form of a dummy armored vehicle, and

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing how the control apparatus of the invention is connected.

A target 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 is provided with props 201 and is set up in front of a trench 202 in which are located firing equipment 203 and its control apparatus 204. The signal-emitting means 205 is secured to one of the props 201 in such manner that it is triggered off by sound conducted through a solid body, which sound is passed through the target 200 when struck by a projectile and is transmitted into the prop 201. The signal-emitting means can of course be designed simply to respond to vibrations of any kind, but precautions must be taken to prevent it being inadvertently triggered off by wind, rain, falling earth and the like.

The electrical system of the equipment is shown in the block connection diagrams of FIG. 2. The signalemitting means 205 comprises a contact which closes a current circuit connected to the control apparatus 204.

The control apparatus includes a key-operated safety switch 206, a current supply unit 207, a stepping switch 208 and its drive 209. Separate leads run from the stepping switch to the devices 203 for detonating the firing cups. When each hit occurs, not only is one of the pyrotechnic devices fired, but the drive 209 for the stepping switch 208 is energized so that the latter establishes a connection between the safety switch and the next detonating device. A stepping switch arrangement is described in applicants US. Patent Application Ser. No. 72,669, filed Sept. 16, 1970, and this arrangement may conveniently be incorporated in the equipment of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the present invention not only enables forming equipment of the said patent Application to be used as equipment for indicating when a target has been hit, but also enables the effect of the hit to be simulated.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for controlling the individual firing of a number of pyrotechnic devices for simulating the effect of gun fire on a target, comprising:

sensing means mounted to said target for generating a signal in response to a hit on said target;

means for detonating said pyrotechnic devices;

control means responsive to said sensing means for actuating said means for detonating, said control means including means actuated by successive signals from said sensing means for controlling the detonation of respective individual pyrotechnic devices.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said means actuated by successive signals from said sensing means is a stepping switch having a number of output contacts, said means for detonating includes individual detonating devices each respectively connected to a respective one of said number of pyrotechnic devices, and a respective one of said output contacts is connected to a respective one of said detonating devices.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising a power source; and

a key operated safety switch for interconnecting said stepping switch and said sensing means to said power source.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said sensing means is connected to said target by a sound-conducting path and generates said signal in response to the sound transmitted therethrough consequent upon a hit on said target. 

1. Apparatus for controlling the individual firing of a number of pyrotechnic devices for simulating the effect of gun fire on a target, comprising: sensing means mounted to said target for generating a signal in response to a hit on said target; means for detonating said pyrotechnic devices; control means responsive to said sensing means for actuating said means for detonating, said control means including means actuated by successive signals from said sensing means for controlling the detonation of respective individual pyrotechnic devices.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said means actuated by successive signals from said sensing means is a stepping switch having a number of output contacts, said means for detonating includes individual detonating devices each respectively connected to a respective one of said number of pyrotechnic devices, and a respective one of said output contacts is connected to a respective one of said detonating devices.
 3. Apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising a power source; and a key operated safety switch for interconnecting said stepping switch and said sensing means to said power source.
 4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said sensing means is connected to said target by a sound-conducting path and generates said signal in response to the sound transmitted therethrough consequent upon a hit on said target. 